South Front
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On July 12, Russian military sources reported that Russian forces launched a massive strike on Ukrainian military facilities located on the island of Zmeiny (Snake Island), which was the first attack on the island since February 2023.
According to the reports, the island was attacked by Russian fighter jets and UAVs. Scouts of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation reportedly acknowledged that there are military facilities on the island that pose a threat to Russian population. The Ukrainian military could use the territory to target the Crimean peninsula with drones and missiles, as well as attack the Kherson and Zaporozhie regions that are under the control of the Russian military.
The reports are yet to be officially confirmed by the Russian military.
On July 8, President of Ukraine Zelensky visited Zmeiny island to commemorate the Ukrainian military killed in the battle for the island.
Russian forces took control of the island in the early days of the special military operation. In their turn, the Armed Forces of Ukraine attempted to land and attack the Russian military several times, but they failed to achieve any victories. On June 30, 2022, after the grain deal was signed, the garrison of the Russian Armed Forces was withdrawn from the island. The last time Ukrainian military facilities there were attacked by Russian Su-24M bombers in February 2023.
The Russian military is unlikely to resume the military operations near the coast of the Odessa region, including on the Zmeiny Island, in the near future. However, the precision strikes on the Ukrainian military facilities there could be a sign to Kiev and Ankara that the corridor created for transfer of Ukrainian grain is not safe without Moscow’s agreement to extend the deal.
